Kikaider is based off an old live action sentai show
from Japan... That has nothing to do with the review… I just thought you’d
like to know.
Kikaider is the story of Jiro,
an android who has lost his memory. Wandering around, he runs into Mitsuko, the
daughter of the scientist that created Jiro. He learns that he has been given
a conscience circuit that may not be working properly. To make things worse, a
mysterious organization called Dark is out to destroy him.
This
series is very character driven. While there are some good action scenes, the
stories main focus is Jiro’s angst about being nothing but a machine and
his relationship with Mitsuko. The monster of the week theme is a little annoying,
but the series is based on a sentai show after all.
The
mood starts out dark and only gets darker as it progresses. The visual style is
intentionally retro, which can make the character designs seem very weird. It
bothered me for the first few episodes, but I got used to it… and actually
began to like it. The music is slow, laid back, and a little sad. It fits the
series perfectly.
Once you get past the strange
character designs, Kikaider is a solid show. It’s well worth checking
out.
